49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Defensive lineman Niles Scott

Niner Noise’s 2018 “Who Is?” series looks at San Francisco 49ers undrafted rookie Niles Scott and breaks down whether or not he’ll crack the 53-man roster this upcoming season.

Having good rotational depth along the defensive line is key for any team’s success, and the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles proved that in 2017.

For the San Francisco 49ers, they’ve invested quite a bit in the D-line in recent years, including three first-round draft picks (Solomon Thomas, DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead) and a lucrative free-agent signing of nose tackle Earl Mitchell a year ago.

For undrafted free-agent rookie Niles Scott, who played his college ball at Frostburg State, the road to an NFL role this regular season will be precarious and difficult.

Small-school prospects typically have a harder road ahead of them at the pro level. Scott won’t be an exception, although he did make a name for himself over his four years in college.

As a starter that entire time, Scott registered 150 total tackles, 43 of which were for a loss, along with 25.5 sacks.

At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Scott projects to be a nose tackle at the NFL level. The only issue, though, is the Niners have both starting-caliber players and depth at that position already.

So what will Scott have to do to increase his chances?

Why Niles Scott Improves in 2018

Scott primarily played a 3-technique in college, and those 25.5 sacks over four years helps indicate he possesses a solid interior pass-rushing ability. And while the 49ers likely slate him for duties at the nose, the ability to back up another defensive tackle spot bodes well for his chances.

Remember, depth players need to showcase some versatility. Scott has that.

His shortish, squatty frame is also ideal for what defensive coordinator Robert Saleh envisions for the position. San Francisco’s other two well-known nose tackles, Mitchell and D.J. Jones, have a similar frame. Scott would ideally need to add a bit more bulk to his frame. But if he can find that happy spot where added weight wouldn’t cut down on his pass-rush ability, it would be all the better.

Why He Regresses

Scott ran a 5.21 40-yard time at his pro day which, despite his explosiveness, isn’t particularly fast for a quality interior rusher.

According to his profile on DraftAnalyst.com, Scott lacks solid hand-punching moves and can easily be swallowed up by effective single blocks. All those pass-rushing abilities against fellow small-school competition won’t translate well over to the NFL level if Scott can’t hone his technique.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2018

It doesn’t help matters the Niners will likely have Mitchell working with the first-team unit, Jones with the second and other noses and 3-techniques mixed about in between.

Scott will have to beat out more than a few fringe players to even earn consideration for the second unit this training camp.

Needless to say, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Yet Scott is a perfect example of one of those players who has enough upside to consider some long-term development. This means he could be an excellent candidate for the practice squad this season, where he’d be able to refine his abilities as both a pass-rusher and run stopper at the pro level.

We’ll likely see him late in games this preseason, perhaps getting a bit of an extended look during the final week of exhibition.

Next: Ranking the 49ers' top 25 players heading into 2018

Aside from that and his possible P-squad candidacy, he’s no more than a camp body at this point.